This is my first fanfiction so please bear with all my mistakes.
Disclaimer-Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, the characters Arnav and Khushi, etc. are trademarks of StarPlus India. No copyright infringement intended.
Plagiarism is a crime. If you do, it will not take me long to find who you are so, please refrain yourself from copying my work.
Character Overview
Khushi Kumari Gupta- 23 years old
Arnav Singh Raizada- 24 years old
The Devil Wears Prada- Chapter 1
Flashback- 18 years ago
Her hair was long and had been tied into loose pigtails. The girl was small and delicate and her bony arms were covered with a blue sweater. She stood nervously behind the teacher, her right foot making lazy circles around the floor.
"Class, we have a new student today," the tall lady had said.
She smiled warmly at the little girl and urged her to stand in front.
"Go on, tell us a little about yourself."
The little girl looked up, her hazel eyes blinking rapidly. She brought her two hands forward and connected them together before speaking.
"My name is K-K-Khushi. I'm 5 and I moved here 2 weeks ago. I live with my dad . And I like to draw."
She finished with a quiet murmur and looked up and noticed 20 pairs of eyes blinking back at her. The one she noticed the most belonged to a tall boy, with his hair brushed up. She looked away as the teacher clapped her hands together.
"Well, we're all glad to have as part of our family. Khushi, since everyone met you, why don't you meet everyone? Tania, why don't you start?"
The girl, Tania, stood up and smiled proudly. "I'm Tania, I'm 6 and I lived here all my life. Daddy did take me to New York and Vegas once but, still. And, if you see that big white house, ya, that's mine."
A few other kids followed until it was the girl in front of the brown-eyed boy's turn. She stood up and gave a nice smile to Khushi. "My name's Anika, I love to draw and I think we'll be very good friends."
Khushi gave her a tight smile and part of her heart became relieved. At last, it was the brown-eyed boy's turn. He stood up with an arrogant smirk plastered on his face.
"Arnav, the name's Arnav."
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Flashback- 14 years ago
A nine year old Khushi Kumari Gupta sat behind the largest oak tree, her legs halfway wet as they sank into the stream. The body of water cut the backyard in half, her house behind it and the forest in the front. Babuji had warned her not to go near the forest part.
"Khushi, beta, don't go there," she remembered him saying the first time she asked him if she could play in the forest.
She looked down at her feet and sighed. It had been 2 years since she came here and her detest towards the place still hadn't decreased. People here were modern, weird and different...
"You're dress is getting wet."
Khushi looked up and saw the same boy with the chocolate chip eyes. What was he doing here? Why was he here? "I can see that," she answered in a strong voice.
He looked at her, his eyes amused. "You know, most people ask what a stranger is doing in their backyard and try not to make a conversation with them."
She folded her hands and pulled her feet out of the water. "But you're not a stranger are you. I've been in your class since 2 years and first met you in December 18, 2001. You said Arnav, the name's Arnav."
He looked away and his cheeks were a pale shade of red. "I remember you to. Your name's Arya, right?"
She shook her head. "Kelly?"
Again, she shook her head. "Oh, I know! It's definitely Kiran!"
"Save yourself some breath, Arnav," she muttered, standing up. "My name is Khu---"
"Khushi!" She turned around and her met her babuji's eyes. "Beta, have you already met Arnav?"
She looked at Arnav and smirked. "We've known each other for 2 years."
"Well, Arnav just moved next door and his papa and I used to be very good friends and are now business partners.. You wouldn't mind showing him around , would you?"
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Flashback- 14 years ago
Khushi lay on the yoga mat, coloring the dragon she drew. Anika lay next to her, organizing the heap of crayons. The loud, chirpy girl almost reminded Khushi of herself..
"Hey Anika," she asked. "Do you have iguana green?"
She heard the rolling of crayons as they fell of the box they were stacked upon. "No, sorry."
Khushi shook her head and waved her hand in front of Anika's face.
"You don't have to apologize," she eyed Arnav and his group of friends. "Do you think they have it?"
Anika looked up and looked back at Khushi. "I doubt they'll give it to you. They are boys after all."
Khushi stood up and smoothed her red dress and fixed the loose ponytails dangling of her head.
"It never hurts to try, does it?"
She walked over to the boys side and tapped on Arnav's shoulder. He looked up at her and gave a toothy grin before standing up. "Hi Khush!"
Hi Arnav. It's Khushi, by the way, not Khush. Can I borrow a color from your green coloring box?" she asked timidly, her fingers crossing behind her back.
He smiled down and nodded. "Su---"
"Eww, Arnav," a boy, the same size as Arnav came and pointed at him. "Why are you hanging out with girls? Girls are disgusting and yucky and they have cooties."
"But, Aman, Khushi is my friend," he answered back, looking confused. The boy, Aman, scowled.
"Well, if you're gonna be friends with her then you can't be friends with us. I told you, manly mans don't hang out with little girls and their barbies."
Khushi gave a desperate look to Arnav. He was her friend, that's what he said when she was showing him around the house. She prayed that he wouldn't embarrass her, laugh at her and mostly, forget what he had said that day when he appeared in her backyard.
Arnav looked up, his eyes were not the same chocolate chipped but, now changed into the color that reminded her of the darkness.
"Go away, Khush," he muttered. "I don't like you. Aman's right, you girls are worthless and have cooties. Go away, I don't want to be friends with you."
There was a silent moment before the lump in her throat showed up like it does every time she cries. Her eyes watered and she sorely turned around.
"Don't cry Khushi," she told herself. "Amma wouldn't want you to cry. Big girls don't cry, Khushi. Big girls don't cry."
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Flashback- 9 years ago
Khushi sat on her porch in the heavy rain, her teeth chattering quietly. A few droplets of rain fell on her face and slowly trickled down her neck and under her sweater.
In the dim porch light, she could make out the outlines of figures. They were coming towards her and it was not long before Khushi realized that it was Arnav and his friends.
They stopped in front of her house and dropped a coat in the mud. It was black with triangular stripes in white. It was hers, they had been the ones who stole her coat and keys and made her sit in the rain for hours.
Khushi slowly got up and began to walk towards them, slowly increasing her speed until she was running. She halted in front of Arnav who was laughing with his friends.
"How dare you?" she gritted out. "Who the f**** do you think you are?"
His eyes turned into a darker shade of brown as she rambled on.
"You made me sit for 2 hours in the rain, without a jacket when its freezing outside. You stole my keys and now your laughing? What the f*** is wrong with you? Huh? What did I ever do to you? Just because Babuji treats you like his own son and lets you in the house whenever you doesn't mean that I feel the same for you!"
She finally, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to control her temper. It was Arnav's turn to speak.
"I don't want you to like me, b***. Can't you take a joke? And your telling me about what Uncle Shashi likes. HE'S NOT EVEN YOUR REAL DAD!"
He stopped after he realized what he said and looked at her. Her breaths came out quickly and her eyes watered up. She bent down and with her shaking hands, picked up the jacket and took quivering steps back into her house.
Arnav stood rooted to the ground and covered his face with his hands. Shit! What was wrong with him? If Uncle S found out, he would be dead . Why did he say that to his Khush? Why was he such an idiot?
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Flashback
6 years ago
Arnav P.O.V
"Arnav, bitwa, the Gupta's are coming over for the evening and I want you to be on your best behavior," Nani said, patting my hair. "Payal and Anjali just graduated and I thought it would be nice to have a little celebration."
I stopped eating the chocolate bar the lay unwrapped in my hands. F**** sake, why did they have to come. I had no problem with Uncle S, the man is a freakin legend! But it was Khushi that was the rotten apple.
"Why does she have to come? Why can't she just go back to where to belongs?" I groaned. "Nani, she's such a brat, stuck-up know-it-all."
Nani slapped my arm. "Arnav, she's not a brat. Khushi's a sweet girl and you're being the brat here."
I wanted to speak out and tell her what a bitch Khushi was but, cursing in front of Nani is not something you do normally.
I heard the bell ring and groaned. Great! I had to see her again! Sitting unwillingly on the couch as Nani quickly brushed my hair, I watched her come in as Hari-Prakash opened the door. Why did she always wear those stupid salwar kameez?
Nani talked to Uncle S while she awkwardly tried to make Payal to talk to Akash. The girl always played matchmaker, why can't she leave people alone for once and let them decide what they wanted to do?
I huffed and sat there, folding my arms across my chest and glaring at her once in a while. The ten minutes felt as if each second was stretched hours to make it seem hours long. It wasn't until Hari-Prakash called for dinner.
She sat opposite me and stayed quiet, asking to pass the salt once in a while. It was almost at the end when all the grown-ups left when Di tried to break the silence.
"So Khushi, have you been seeing anyone."
She choked, her eyes turning wide when she tried to take deep breaths. Payal patted her back and gave her a glass of coke.
"Don't look so surprised," Di said continuing the conversation. "I was your age once and went through the same things."
"No, Di, I'm not seeing anyone," she replied quietly, clenching her glass of coke tightly. "And I hope that's going to say the same for years to come."
"What about kids, are you planning to have kids?" Please Di, stop it. I did not want to have this conversation especially with her being here.
Khushi looked up, her eyes furrowed and her forehead wrinkling in annoyance. "I want to finish college, find a job, get married and then have kids."
There was a slight burning feeling at the bottom of my heart after she said that. Di looked at be with her eyebrows raised, almost asking me silently the same question. "What about you, chote?"
"I want to do the same thing that she said," I gritted out, making sure to annoy Di for the rest of the day for having this chat with me. "Go to college and all that crap.:
Di looked at and Payal and instantly smiled.
"I could see it now. Hazel eyes," Payal said.
"Black hair," Di replied, nodding. "And a cute little button nose and smirk."
It had taken me a moment to realize what they meant. I looked at Khushi, who was staring at me with a blush on her face but, had the same annoyed expression. Yuck! How could they think such things? Me and Rotten Khushi, NEVER!
Khushi excused herself, going to get herself another glass of coke. I stared at her, and raised an eyebrow. She looked away, still blushing.
I smirked, this conversation wasn't so bad. After all, I made Khushi Kumari Gupta, biggest prude in the entire world, blush.
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December 26
7: 00 a.m
Khushi P.O.V
I hate mondays. I hate mornings. I hate my life.
Groaning, I got up, and slammed my hand on my alarm clock. My hand seemed to miss the little white object and instead hit the corner of my night table. Cursing, I raised my finger up, which now had a pale red line, and put it in my mouth.
This was typical me, the most clumsiest in my house. Scratch that, the most clumsiest person in this city. I had more hospital records than most people in this town and knew each emergency and regular doctor and nurse that worked there.
I propped myself up and took in my appearance. My hair had settled itself comfortably on top of my head, all tangled and knotted. The dark circles under my eyes were more prominent and visible, and stood out in my too pale face.
Don't get me wrong, I don't worry about my looks that much but, going to work looking like a clown certainly didn't have any plus-points.
My feet fit the floor and I jumped up. The windows were blanketed with droplets of water. I wasn't amused, it always rained here.
Shivering, I pulled down my over sized "Taken" shirt. I wasn't in a relationship, never have been and probably never will. It wasn't that I wanted to stay single for all my life in fact, that was just the opposite. But I was Khushi Kumari Gupta, the apparent "conservative" girl, the girl no one would ask out. I was average, normal, plain jane.
Walking out, I started to miss my the smell of burnt waffles that seemed to fill the mornings before I moved into this apartment a month ago. Babuji had reluctantly agreed to let me live on my own after I promised to visit once 3 times a week and call him every day.
I stepped into the tub and let the cold water bathe me. It was at the midst of the shower when I realized that it was my first day for work.. Shit! I wrapped the towel around me and ran out, banging my ankle against the frame of the door. I stopped myself from falling to the ground and start bawling. Did I mention I was melodramatic?
The first thing that my hand picked out from my too-small closet was leather pants and a white shirt. They were first-day-of-work appropriate, right? In the blur of the seconds, I finished by granola bar in 2 bites, wore my heels, put on makeup and got my portfolio and found myself driving to work.
Relax Khushi, it was the last thought that came to my mind before I pushed open the frosted doors at the front of the building. You're a confident women who worked hard for this. Keep it cool, do not hyperventilate, be classy.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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